S.E.E.K Young Adult Ministry

“But seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be added to you.” – Matthew 6:33

Mission:

The mission of the WFICC’s Young Adult ministry is to support, equip and empower young leaders with the tools needed to become Disciples of Christ that are building the kingdom of God and accomplishing the work God has called them to do in His kingdom.

Vision:

To have a church that…

Recognizes that young adult ministry must be owned by and integrated into all parts of the church community

Provides opportunities and resources for young adults to gather in faith, friendship, and community

Provides a Christian environment where young adults are welcomed, heard, valued, nurtured, and supported both personally and spiritually as equals in their churches

Continues to identify, develop, and update young adult ministry networks across the church to facilitate the sharing of ideas and resources

Provides training and continuing education to support ministry with young adults

Provides leadership opportunities and training for young adults that nurtures both their leadership skills and spiritual life

Provides program opportunities with a global perspective that develop and encourage the mission and outreach awareness of young adults

Encourages worship that inspires young adults’ participation and spiritual development

Ensures appropriate and safe pastoral care to young adults, including those outside of church membership, especially in times of change, challenge and crisis. This care recognizes the diversity of our life experiences and the commitment to inclusion of marginalized young adults

Recognizes and responds appropriately to issues of particular importance to young adults

We exist to…

Support: Ministry to young adults isn’t a simple task. If it were, then every church would have a young adult ministry. Many articles and books have been written that suggests churches aren’t doing a good job connecting with young adults. However, our intention isn’t to make you feel guilty about what you may not be doing, but to support you in what you can accomplish for and in the kingdom of God.

Equip: Through newsletters, conferences, seminars, online blogs and personalized trainings, our desire is to equip you with the tools necessary to help you fulfill your vision in connecting young adults to God, the church, and their purpose in life.

Empower: The biggest thing that sets young adults apart from other generations is that they are desperately trying to find their own identity and place in life. And determine what defines them and sets them apart from others. Our goal is to empower the young adults in this ministry to be able to be leaders in their churches and communities, and to stand confidently on the word of God.

We want you to SEE the uniqueness and diversity of the young adult experience and the value they bring to the church community. They possess special gifts because of their life experiences and can bring a plethora of ideas and skills that prove them to be a vital part of the Kingdom.

“SEEK first to understand, then to be understood”

When we understand where a young person has been and what the impact of their life experiences has on their behaviors and attitude, it is then that we can assist them in areas that can improve their lives, personally and spiritually. When you do this, you have just placed yourself in a position to be understood.

Seek to have “learning” conversations with young adults

Seek to understand as much as possible about who that person is and why they might be saying or doing the things they are by asking questions.

Seek clarification, perhaps re-stating how you heard the other person’s words and asking if you understand them correctly.

Seek to share as much as you can about yourself, who you are, and why you are saying or doing the things you are. Realize that, in most interactions, you need to understand both “the facts,” the emotions and “behind the scenes” thinking of the person sharing them.

Ministries:

Assist churches in the development of Young Adult Ministries
Provide programs, products and services that help churches and individuals grow in ministry awareness and involvement.

Assist churches in Christian development for Young Adult Ministries
Support churches by providing materials and plans that contribute to the individual young adult’s spiritual growth and ministry consciousness.

Assist churches through the distribution of newsletters and products
Produce, publish and distribute newsletters and products that help young adult ministries and individuals grow in commitment to Jesus Christ by applying biblical concepts of ministry.

What is your ministry SEEKING?

SEEK Young Adult Ministry is here to lend support, if needed, to the member churches within the WFICC around:

Starting a young adult ministry in your church

Building partnerships and collaborating with other member churches

Strengthening existing young adult ministries

Coaching young adult ministries in areas around programming, setting and meeting goals, recruitment and retention

Sharing information about your successes in ministry to help other ministries grow

What is a SEEKER?

A SEEKER is a young adult between the ages of 18-35 years old, who is a member of a church that is affiliated with the Worldwide Fellowship of Independent Christian Churches and is passionate about leadership, fellowship, social consciousness and service.

Young Adults between the ages of 18-35 years old have a unique set of needs. They are charged with balancing school and work, graduating from college and choosing a career, and leaving home and starting families of their own. Some young adults may have children prior to leaving home and can be either single or married.

They are SEEKING balance, socially and spiritually.

In the church, young adults can get lost within the myriad of people and ministries that do not seem to notice and address their unique needs. The complexities of this generations underlying conditions and contributing factors can present as a challenge in ministry, not quite understanding where to place them and how to best support them.

The ministries that much attention is paid to are youth ministry, which addresses the needs of youth in elementary school all the way through high school. Then there is the women and men’s ministry, where the focus and concerns may be too mature or out of the scope of a young adult’s experiences. The content and issues that young adults face are rarely covered in these ministries. They need and deserve a ministry that is specifically for them and made up of young adults like them. Oftentimes, the focus of attention and needed resources are overlooked and undervalued and eventually the young adults leave the church.

They are SEEKING to belong and to fit in.

The WFICC’s Young Adult Ministry in partnership with the young adult’s local church will work collaboratively in supporting, equipping and empowering young adults to become what God has destined them to be.

Become a SEEKER

If you are between the ages of 18-35 years old, a member of a church affiliated with the WFICC, and you are looking to be the change your generation needs to see, join us. Whether you are in college, out of college, single, married, or a young parent…SEEK Young Adult Ministry is for you.

Development and Support:

SEEKERS will be supported and empowered through workshops, fellowship, conferences, seminars and newsletters to become leaders and resources in their communities, equipped to spread the word of God and build up the body of Christ.

Workshops: Local and statewide workshops can be conducted throughout the year to share new information, current events and/or introduce project opportunities to churches and young adult ministries. This information can be helpful in furthering the ministries goals.

Fellowship: Through meet and greets, social media and outreach, young adults will have an opportunity to see what their peers are doing in their churches and communities. They will be able to share experiences of how being a part of the church and ministry has impacted their lives. What they have learned about themselves and others, in the context of personal and spiritual relationships.

Conferences: 2-3 day conferences will be held annually for young adults to attend that will give them an opportunity to learn new things, meet new people, and travel to new places. Topics of discussion will be developed around the needs of the young adults attending. Facilitators can and/or will be young adult peers, youth pastors and leaders, ministers, reverends, bishops etc.

Seminars: Leadership and educational seminars as well as any other related area of interest that can help elevate young adults professionally, socially, emotionally and spiritually can be conducted as needed.

Newsletter: Produced and published quarterly, the newsletter can be used to inform the community about what is going on with the Worldwide Fellowship of Independent Christian Churches and its member churches and to highlight the accomplishments of young adults in ministry.

As this ministry SEEKs to support, equip and empower churches and young adult ministries with building the kingdom of God and accomplishing the work God has called them to do, keep us in your prayers.